By Evan Johnson CASTLETON—Castleton University’s longest-serving president is looking forward to his next venture. Dave Wolk announced at a campus assembly last week that he will step down in December after serving for 16 years. “I want to go out on a high,” he said in an interview with the Mountain Times. Wolk came to…

By Erin Mansfield, VTDigger Four towns in the Upper Valley of Vermont are opposing a Utah man’s plan to build a giant development that could eventually hold 1 million people right in their backyards. Residents voted Tuesday, March 8, by Australian ballot in Royalton (123 to 16), Sharon (100 to 16) and Tunbridge (165 to 4)…

Ski resorts and snowsport enthusiasts rejoice By Evan Johnson Winter storm Stella came down hard on the northeast dumping up to two feet of snow by early Wednesday. The fast-moving storm caused thousands of flights across the northeast to be canceled and closed schools. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for all of…

By Evan Johnson  On Town Meeting Day last week, voters in Rutland County passed successful merger votes for the Addison Rutland district, while voting down mergers in Rutland Central and Rutland Southwest. Of the 10 school district merger votes around the state, six were approved. SU04 Addison Rutland Four of six towns will form a…

Four of six towns in WCSU pass Act 46 school board unification By Polly Lynn Mikula On Tuesday, March 7, six towns in the Windsor Central Supervisory Union voted on the proposed Act 46 school district merger. Killington,Woodstock, Bridgewater and Pomfret passed the measure to form a union school district, while Barnard, Reading, defeated it.…

By Tiffany Danit Pache, VTDigger Gov. Phil Scott asked voters to reject increases in school spending on Town Meeting Day, but only 18 out of 209 budgets failed — fewer than half the number that were struck down in 2014 when calls for tax relief hit a fever pitch. Scott voted against the school budget…

By Tiffany Danitz Pache, VTDigger Out of the 10 school district mergers put to voters on Town Meeting Day, three were completely successful, including a large all-school choice district in the Northeast Kingdom, while four unification votes failed. Three others will create modified unified unions, or larger consolidated districts with fewer members than the potential…

Four of six towns in WCSU passed Act 46 school board unification By Polly Lynn Mikula On Tuesday, March 7, six towns in the Windsor Central Supervisory Union voted on the proposed Act 46 school district merger. Killington,Woodstock, Bridgewater and Pomfret passed the measure to form a union school district, while Barnard, Reading, defeated it.…

Interested in conserving Vermont’s wildlife? Consider making a donation to the Nongame Wildlife Fund on line 29 of the state income tax form this tax season. The fund helps to conserve some of Vermont’s most threatened wildlife species such as bald eagles, lynx, and bats. Donations are leveraged by a match from a federal grant,…

CASTLETON—Tucked away on the backside of campus near the Observatory Lot is Castleton’s own nearly 700-pound hidden treasure. The Castleton Observatory has been home to a rare Unitron telescope, one of only three models open to the public in the entire world, since April 1960. Originally built for studying the surface details of the moon,…

WEST RUTLAND—On the night of Feb. 28, state troopers from the Rutland Barracks pulled a vehicle over on Route 4 in West Rutland. Investigation revealed that the driver, Joel Cruz, age 24 of Union City, N.J., had an active arrest warrant in the state of Vermont. Cruz was taken into custody and transported to the…

Police say a 23-year-old woman from Bennington died from injuries resulting in a two-car crash that occurred March 3 in Pittsfield. On Friday evening at around 6 p.m., troopers from the  State Police  Rutland Barracks, Pittsfield Fire Department and White River Valley Ambulance were notified of a two-car motor vehicle crash on Vermont 100, north…

RUTLAND—A man and a woman are facing charges of domestic assault and exposure and abandonment of a child under 2 years old. On July 20, 2016, the Rutland City Police Department was notified of a possible shaken baby incident that had occurred at an earlier time in Rutland City. Through the investigation, it was learned…

Rutland Free Library tightens belt A $40,000 budget deficit has caused the Rutland Free Library to look for ways to economize in the 2017-2018 budget year. The shortfall is the result of lower interest returns on library endowments, combined with Rutland City Board of Aldermen level funding. The library is not asking for increases from…

Castleton Community Center adds board members, plans March activities CASTLETON—Joan Chader and Mary Beth Hadeka joined the Castleton Community Seniors board at that group’s February meeting. Chader and her husband moved to their Lake Bomoseen home in 2002. Hadeka and her husband have lived in Castleton for 36 years. The Castleton Village School Band entertains…